This invention relates generally to holsters for handguns and more specifically to preventing the permeation of sweat and moisture through the face of the holster closest to the body of the user. Anyone who has carried a handgun in a holster, such as law enforcement officers and those in the military, are aware of the advantages and disadvantages associated with using a holster made of leather.
A leather holster is more attractive and has a better overall feel to it than a holster constructed from a synthetic material such as plastic or the like. However, since leather is somewhat porous and will absorb moisture, it is known that moisture often permeates the layers of the holster and may cause a rusting or corroding of the internal mechanism or the external appearance of the gun contained therein.
A prominent source of the moisture which reaches through the holster and corrodes the gun contained therein is provided by the user's perspiration which permeates the surface of the holster closest to the body of the user, particularly when the holster is worn at the side of a person such that the back face of the holster is in constant contact with the side or the thigh of the user. This arrangement obviously supplies a constant source of moisture to that face of the holster.
The invention according to the instant application is distinguished thereover by providing a back face of the holster with a laminate layer of teflon or the like, thereby preventing any permeation of moisture through that face of the holster. The aesthetical and functional qualities of leather are maintained because the remainder of the holster both inside and out is constructed from a leather or a similar substance having the same feel.
The following patents reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware that appear to be germane to the patent process: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,455,635 Witte, 2,987,229 Leclerc, 3,902,639 Rogers.
The device according to the instant application is further distinguished from the above citations in that the holsters according to those disclosures are constructed completely from plastic, thereby relinquishing the beneficial attributes of leather such as flexibility, appearance and feel. This is accomplished by providing a holster in which only a face of the holster contacting the body of the user is covered with a laminate layer in order to prevent permeation of moisture from the body of the user through the porous leather to the gun surfaces which should be maintained in such a manner as to prevent rusting or corrosion of the metal components.